Discovering the skin care line that works best for you is like finding the brand of jeans that are perfect for your body: It’s only a slight exaggeration to say that it’s a life-transforming experience. Get ready for the same experience when it comes to hair care products.

Discovering the skin care line that works best for you is like finding the brand of jeans that are perfect for your body: It’s only a slight exaggeration to say that it’s a life-transforming experience. Get ready for the same experience when it comes to hair care products.

If you've kissed your curls goodbye for just the night or for a few months, you'll want to balance your sleek new tresses with soft makeup. "Straight hair creates severity, but you can soften your features by using translucent textures," explains Houston makeup artist Carol Wagener. Think gloss instead of lipstick, and skip powder blush in favor of the creamy, put-it-on-with-your-fingers variety. There is, however, one area that requires a straighter edge: your lash line. "Go for crisp, lined eyes and lots of curl to lashes," says celeb hair and makeup guru Brett Freedman, who has worked with Vanessa Hudgens and Kelly Clarkson, among others. "Sleeker hair begs for a more polished eye."

Curls of Wisdom

When you're sporting a spiraled style, take a tip from the writer Henry David Thoreau and simplify, simplify. "Hair with a lot of interest should be matched by clean, natural makeup with a blended finish," Freedman says. Picture Jennifer Aniston when she complements her waves with a touch of peach gloss and a dusting of bronzer.

Start with a light application of your foundation and blend well. Curly hair can make your face look wider, so go light on blush or bronzer and keep it on the apples of your cheeks. Wagener adds that since curls are soft and billowy, "they tend to blur the angles of your face." Create some structure with a well-defined mouth and eye. Keep brows fastidiously groomed, line your lashes with eye shadow or liner and give your lips a stand-out pop with rich berry or red gloss.

Great Lengths

If your mane falls well below your shoulders -- on its own or with the help of extensions -- "you need brightness in the cheeks and lips so you don't fade away underneath that long hair," says celeb makeup artist Kimara Ahnert, who has worked with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Gwyneth Paltrow. Adds Freedman: "It's a great time to explore and be a bit adventurous with color."

For inspiration, channel Drew Barrymore, who's always changing up her look on the red carpet. (Remember her Marilyn-esque Golden Globes look with fuchsia lips and smoldering eyes?) Consider a bold accent, like the violet you've never touched, under your lower lashes. Play with metallics too. "A golden gloss over your favorite pink lipstick or a touch of champagne shimmer over your blush can really freshen up a look," says Freedman.

Going Short

When you go under the scissors and make a dramatic chop à la Victoria Beckham or Rihanna, your face takes center stage. "You've got to play up your eyes and cheeks because those are the first things everyone sees," says Wagener. "Plus, when you emphasize your femininity, you're wearing your hair and not vice versa."

The four steps to notice-me eyes: Fill in your brows with a brow pencil or powder, dot and wiggle liner along your lash lines, curl lashes and apply two coats of volumizing mascara. Then, to draw focus to the center of your face, create what Wagener calls a "banana split" on your cheekbones. How to: Sweep a neutral bronzer on your cheekbones in a long, upswept banana shape, then apply a bit of "whipped cream" (aka highlighting cream) just above cheekbones. Put the "cherry" on top with a dab of rosy blush on the apples of your cheeks.

Swept up

Wearing your hair off your face, in a slicked-back updo or a polished ponytail, is even more revealing than a short cut. The golden rule is blend, blend, blend, especially around the hairline and jawline -- two areas we often neglect, says celebrity makeup artist Maria Verel, who did Diane Sawyer's makeup for "Good Morning America."

Smooth obvious lines of demarcation, using a brush to blend powders, and the tip of your ring finger to soften any edges that cream foundation or blush may have left behind. And because you don't have the fall of hair creating shadows, you'll want to add some angles to your face. She suggests defining the cheeks and jaw with a dusting of bronzer in the shape of a "3" along the perimeter of your face. Start at your temple, then sweep across your cheekbones and along your lower jawline and neck.

Bang-up Job

Face-framing fringe is the equivalent of an extra facial feature, says Verel, and one you must factor in when you apply your makeup. "You can't have three points of interest: lips, eyes and bangs," she says. Since your bangs are a given, choose between making your eyes or lips the second focal point. Opting for eyes? Emphasize your eye color with a flash of drama by applying an unexpected shade of liner on the lower, inner rim. Use jade or navy for blue or hazel eyes, ruby for green and violet eyes, and gray for brown eyes. Or strengthen your lips with a strong hue. If you've always done a neutral or nude mouth, take baby steps to bold with sheer coral, plum or red gloss.

Holly Crawfordis a Houston-based freelance writer who has contributed to numerous magazines and Web sites, including Glamour, InStyle, Allure,Cosmopolitan, Shape and Elle online.

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